The turmoil in the city of Cape Town administration could endanger major investments planned ahead of the 2010 Soccer World Cup, Western Cape Premier Ebrahim Rasool warned on Wednesday.
He was speaking after the African National Congress appealed for provincial intervention to end what it called the ”chaos” in the city.
Speaking at a media briefing after a provincial Cabinet meeting, Rasool said no one could pretend it was edifying to see a sphere of government that controlled a R20-billion budget being distracted from how it should deal with that kind of money.
”We would certainly hope that stability would be ensured, that maturity must be established and that the focus on service delivery must be returned,” he said.
Referring to major hotel developments planned for the city’s Waterfront area ahead of the 2010 Soccer World Cup, he said everyone at local government level should realise that words and gestures are powerful. Making 2010 a political football, and a lack of resolution about the site of the city’s proposed 2010 stadium, sent signals out into the world.
”Any one of the six, seven hotels that people are planning for the city in anticipation of World Cup 2010, those things are fragile, investors are mobile. They can take their money anywhere else in the world. Any other country would give their eye teeth to have a R300-million hotel built … in their country.
”So I’m hoping we can see maturity and stability in the city of Cape Town very soon.”
Asked about his relationship with the Democratic Alliance-led city administration, he said it was ”not a matter of whether we like each other”. The Inter-Governmental Relations Act compelled the province and city to work together.
”It would be nice if we like each other, but the fact of the matter is that even if we don’t like each other, we’ve got to work together,” he said.
Earlier on Wednesday, in a letter to local government provincial minister Richard Dyantyi, the ANC’s Cape Town regional secretary Mbulelo Ncedana claimed mayor Helen Zille and the DA were preparing to purge the city’s executive directors.
”As part of its smear tactics the DA claims officials are still taking ANC instructions,” he said. ”We call on Dyantyi to decisively intervene to put a stop to the government chaos at Cape Town.”
Zille said in a statement on Wednesday afternoon that her multi-party government had learned that ANC chief whip Peter Gabriel had written to Dyantyi ”requesting that the city be placed under administration”.
According to the Constitution, this would mean that the entire council would have to be dissolved and placed under the control of an administrator.
”In terms of the Constitution, the council can only be placed under administration if the council cannot deliver services or pay its bills,” she said. ”We know that the premier and minister Dyantyi are far too aware of the law to take councillor Gabriel’s request seriously.”
ANC officials said they were unaware of such a letter from Gabriel, who could not be reached for comment.
Cape Town is currently operating with two claimants to the post of city manager after the incumbent Wallace Mgoqi, who was appointed by the former ANC administration, refused to accept a council decision on Monday to terminate his contract.
The multi-party city government has appointed Achmat Ebrahim as acting manager. — Sapa